Concrete block construction



ct. 30, 1923. M. RoFFlNo CONCRETE BLOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 12. 1922 INVENTOH Mfv//O /oFF/No BV f/ n z ATTORNEYS l 5 T i .V/ /V/ Jill H U 9 N U 9 4 E .E. .I.-

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Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICIEL! Application'nled December 12, 1922. Serial Ro. 806,426.

To allwlzom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, MARIO RoFrINo, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident 'of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Concrete Block Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention yrelates to a concrete block construction. In building construction where concrete blocks are used it is highl important that the work be carried on wit the utmost expedition and ease, and since the blocks are in most cases provided already formed of the proper dimensions, it is also highly desirable' that the blocks be capable of assembly not only with ease but requiring the minimum amount of skill on the part of the person assembling them. It is, further more, desirable that the blocks, after being assembled, can be very irml `locked together so that the structure wil be rigld Iand will remain rigid indefinitely. It is also desirable that the construction can be disassembled as quickly and easily as it can be assembled. v

It is, therefore, thel object of my invention to provide a construction and form of block and co-opera-ting elements for tying the blocks together in a structural unit so as to achieve the' above-mentioned desirable features in the blocks and in their manner and method of assembly and disassembly.

The invention. is illustrated in the drawings, of whichigure lis a partial perspective lview of a' plurality of blocks tied together to 'form a wall construction. I

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the blocks.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the blocks. v

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figs. lV and 3.

The form'of the invention shown in the drawings is a preferred form, yalthough it is understood that modifications in the construction and arran ement of the parts and in the, character of t e materials used ma be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention. l

Each block used to form any desired structural unit comprises a concrete member havinglongitudinal-side walls, 1 and 2, and transverse end walls, 3 and 4, all of which extend the fuudepth of the bldk." Intel.

mediate the end walls 3 and 4 andextending across between the side walls 1 and 2 in each block are a pair of reinforcing strengthening 00 bars or rods, 5,.;and 6, dis osed respectively at the upper and lower e ges of the walls 1 and 2 and each extending only part way inwardly from their respective edges. As

shown in the drawings, these rods 5 and 6 '05v are approximately one-third 'the depth of the block. The upper edges of the side walls 1 and 2 are and the lower edges of the side walls 1 and 2 are provided with ribs 9 and 10. The ribs 'lll4 9 and 10 are slightly smaller in dimensions than the grooves 7 and 8 so that when the,

ribs of one block lie in the grooves of another there will be'some space left over. In jolmng the blocks it is intended to place a certain amount of cement in the ooves, and then when the ribs of the related block are pressed into the grooves the concrete is forced into intimate contact with the ribs to form a tight locking joint between the two 8 blocks. Each block is provided with reinforcing members, such as 11, which magA be in the form of wires or rods exten ing around the periphery of the block adjacent the top and bottom edges. v

The end walls of each block, as shown particularly in Fig. 4, are provided with vertical grooves, 12 and V13, each preferably semi-circular in shape and adapted when the blocks are disposed in an abutting rela- 90 tion to form a circular passageway leadin from the top to the bottom'of each bloc and connecting the grooves 7 and 8 in one block with correspondin grooves in 'the block above. When one lock is placed Ion another in close relation with a second block, the cement in the grooves, forced out of the grooves by the rods engaged, in the grooves, will be forced partly up` the passageway formed by the grooves 12 and 13, and this 100 key of cement will tend more effectively to lock the blocks together.

It will be noted from a consideration of Fig. 1 that the blocks are disposed in an overlapping or staggered relation. In other words, the end walls of adjacent blocks on one level lie respectively over and under the transverse strengthening bars, such as 5 and 6, of blocks in the adjacent level, and

the strengthening bars of this same block lie adjacent the abutting end sections of the blocks ,in the adjacent level.

provided with rooves 7 and 8,l

"with the blocks 1n the levels immediately y, end walls 3 and -and a stationary lug or though the link 16is sma ler than the pasl sageway between these two projections.

aboveand below, I have provided a combination ofl locking elements which enables the yblocks to-be veryv quickly assembled and l very firmly locked together. This combination of elements is such as requires practlcally no particular skill on the part of the workman who -is assembling' the wall or .other construction. Tonthis end I provide the end walls of each block with a plurality of apertures through which hooked bolts, such as 14, extend. These bolts have, in. the' well-known manner, a hooked formation on one end and are provided with a clamp-` ing nut 15 on the other end. Beneath the head or nut 15 and assing around the end ofthe bolt 14 isa link 16. This link extends downwardly .across the joint between one level of' blocks and the row of blocks immediately below it. The lower end 19 of the link 16 passes between a bolt head 17 rejection 18al- However, the wedge member 20 is forced between the links 16 and the projection or lug 18 and ve 4firmly clamps the link 16 inl position. vSlmilarly, the hooked'end 14 of the bolt is engaged by a wedge member 21 (see Figs. `3 and 4), and this wedge member when driven in will clam the bolt 14 to hold the vend walls of abutting blocks tother.VA Therefore, looking at Fig. 2 and t e main end of Flg. 3, it will be seen that the abutting end walls` are held together by the action of a wedge member, and the link connecting one 'of these end walls with the reinforcing rod of the block bolt is also` firmly clamped by, means f of the action of a wedge member, and in this manner two blocks in onev level are held firmly togetherand both are very firmly tiedto the block immediately below as well as to the block immediately'above. In view of the fact that the hooked bolts 14, the links 16, the wedge \members 20'and 21 and the other parts can all be made of stock material, read for use, it will be observed that the assemb of this v l construction i's an exceedin lv sim le mat-4 It=wi l be 'noted in Fig. 3 that the lowerl pair` of blocks marked A, have their two aregtied. above, as shown in the gu're,4to

' the reinforcing rod 6 of a block in a row,

marked `B,immediatel above the first mentioned blocks. It will 4noted that the Aends l 3 and 4 ofthe blocks in the lower level anev Vtied together by a hooked bolt 14 clamped v'bya wedge member 21, and that a'link 16 extends v.downwardly across the joint bei in an adjacent level. ,f

disposed between the link and one of said 4.abutting. These end walls tween the two levels of blocks an'd is en- 'gaged between members17 and 18 and held in this engagement by a wedge member 20. The member 17 is in the form of an ordinary bolt, the other vend of which is provided With a clamping nut 22. j

In other words, to tie the abutting ends of two blocks to a block in another level requires a link extending across between the two levels of blocks; requires projections on the ends of the blocks; and requires wedge members to clamp the link to theprojection's.` It also requiresa-hooked bolt extending between the ends of adjacent blocks in one level, and a-wedge member to clamp said bolt in position to hold the abutting ends together. f

t will be clear from a consideration of the above description that the manner of connecting the ribs and end walls of theV blocks can be employed in other constructions than concrete block constructions, wherever a plurality of adjacently disposed walls are to be tied together.

What I claim is 1. A block construction involving a plurality of levels of concrete blocks arranged in a staggered relation, each of said blocks including end and sidewalls and interme diate strengthening ribs, means for clamping the end wa ls of adjacent blocks in the same level to ther and means connecting the end walls odj acent blocks in one level with an intermediate strengthening rib of .a block 2. A concrete construction which includes a pair of blocks each having an intermediate -strengthening' rib, said blocks arra d in a staggered relation withy the endwal of one block disposed adjacent the strengthening rib of another block in an adjacent level, the surface of the end wall and the strengthening rib beingaline'd in the same plane,

a projection on the end wall, a link extending from said projection across the joint between the wall and the surface of the` strengthening rib, a. air of projections on the strengthening rib tween which the link passes, and acam-shaped clamping member projections to clamp the end of the link and hold the two surfaces in alinement.

3. Aconcrete block construction whichv includes a pair of blocks in one level with their end walls abutting, a hooked bolt extending through the wall having a head on one end, a wedge member clamped between the *hooked end ofthe bolt and the other wall to e `hold the two wallstogether, a link disposed .beneath the head ofl saidhooked bolt, an-

other block in a dilferent level, a strengthening rib intermediate the 4end of said block, said rib alined with' the end walls -o the first-mentioned blocks, av link exten from the hooked bolt across the surface o u lio :Maceo the strengthening rib, a pair of projections on said rib between which the vend of the link passes and a wedge member between the link and one of said rojec'tions to clamp the link in position an hold the blocks together.

4. A and side walls and a strengthenin rib extending across between the side wa s intermediate the len h of the block, said'rib having a depth ess than that of the block and avthickness e ual to approximately twice the thickness of t e end walls.

5. A concrete block comprisin end and side walls, a transverse stren ening rib extending. between the side wa s havin a depth of the block.

6. A joint construction for a plurality of walls, which includes a wall disposed in one concrete block which comprises end j level, apair of walls disposed in an adjacent level, said pair of walls abutting the rstmentioned wall, Ameans for clamping said pair of walls together, and meansv connecting one ofsaid pair of walls with the first-men- -a projection on one wall, a link extending through said projection across the joint between said wall and the adjacent wall, a pair of projections on said last-mentioned wall between which the link passes, and a camshaped clamping member disposed between the links and one of said projections to clamp the end of the link arid hold the two sur-fv faces in alinement.

l MARIO ROFFINO. 

